About NICE

Massai Eco- Travels: Nature and Inter Cultural Expeditions (NICE)

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Be on the Adventure Frontlines……in Truly Maasai way!

We offer Tourism with a difference:

Alternative and pro-poor tourism that uses Maasai and Samburu local resources and indigenous skills;
eco -tourism that respects, recognizes and appreciates the diverse Roles and Rights of indigenous communities in conservation and also a right to a decent income and livelihood;
We respect indigenous cultures, cultural expressions, heritage and their right to Free Prior Informed Consent in accessing and using their images and resources;
We promote bush craft ventures that do respects natural and cultural diversity;
We support and contribute to community development through volunteer work and organising fund raisers
We organise and facilitate team building adventures based on indigenous that promote more open interactions between outsiders and communities.

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Study Tours for Schools, Universities, NGOs, Communities, colleges: learning beyond the Class or formal set up
NICE is specialized and skilled in organizing and facilitating study tours of any theme and subject. We have organized educational and study tours for students, human rights monitors and defenders, social justice activists, researchers, faith based organisations, media and development workers.

Maasai and Samburu Cultural Experience: Living wild on the wild rangelands of Kenya

Experience life in the bush among the Maasai and the Samburu the Maasai way. The indigenous Maasai warriors will be your guides all through. Learn about Maasai survival skills, their knowledge on nature, traditional indigenous skills and practices, traditional medicine among others.

Cultural Excursions- experience a living and Vibrant Culture

Live in A Maasai village and experience first hand their cultural expressions and their worldview of issues. The Maasai women are an important engines that maintains and promotes the Maasai culture, yet they remain highly invisible what makes voiceless yet strong pillars of Maasai rituals and ceremonies? How many Maasai ceremonies and rituals do you know you Know? Maasai name- giving, meat eating;, circumcision ceremonies and many more. Learn from the owners of a culture thought to be disappearing rapidly – yet very vibrant after ? The Last of the Maasai was written!

Heritage Tourism
Cultural heritage tourism (or just heritage tourism) is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring.

Culture has always been a major object of travel, as the development of the Grand Tour from the 16th century onwards attests. In the 20th century, some people have claimed, culture ceased to be the objective of tourism: tourism is now culture. Cultural attractions play an important role in tourism at all levels, from the global highlights of world culture to attractions that underpin local identities. (Richards, 1996)

According to the Weiler and Hall, culture, heritage and the arts have long contributed to appeal of tourist destination. However, in recent years ‘culture’ has been rediscovered as an important marketing tool to attract those travellers with special interests in heritage and arts. According to the Hollinshead, cultural heritage tourism defines as cultural heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry because there is a trend toward an increase specialization among tourists. This trend is evident in the rise in the volume of tourists who seek adventure, culture, history, archaeology and interaction with local people.

Cultural heritage tourism is important for various reasons; it has a positive economic and social impact, it establishes and reinforces identity, it helps preserve the cultural heritage, with culture as an instrument it facilitates harmony and understanding among people, it supports culture and helps renew tourism (Richards, 1996). Putangina Cultural heritage tourism has a number of objectives that must be met within the context of sustainable development such as; the conservation of cultural resources, accurate interpretation of resources, authentic visitors experience, and the stimulation of the earned revenues of cultural resources. We can see, therefore, that cultural heritage tourism is not only concerned with identification, management and protection of the heritage values but it must also be involved in understanding the impact of tourism on communities and regions, achieving economic and social benefits, providing financial resources for protection, as well as marketing and promotion. (J. M. Fladmark, 1994)

Heritage tourism involves visiting historical or industrial sites that may include old canals, railways, battlegrounds, etc. The overall purpose is to gain an appreciation of the past. It also refers to the marketing of a location to members of a diaspora who have distant family roots there.

Decolonization and immigration form the major background of much contemporary heritage tourism. Falling travel costs have also made heritage tourism possible for more people.

Film and Photographic Safaris

Indigenous communities are always willing to learn from others and to share their cultures with the rest of the world. However, they want to be treated with respect and for their ancestral and spiritual knowledge and cultural practices to be respected. Quite often their images are taken in different forms commercialized. Nice can assist you to negotiate and obtain authorization from Kenya Film Commission and Prior Informed Consent from the concerned communities and also ensure that you adhere to community protocols.

Children and Youth Activities

Nice can organize activities that keep the children and the youth actively and productively engaged in a traditional Maasai way. Some of the activities, depending on tour interests, will include; Youth leadership and mentoring, learning about nature, children songs, Maasai/Samburu folklore story telling, children games, looking after livestock and some of the activities

Honeymoons and weddings based on Maasai and Samburu Cultures

Courtesy of the Maasai and Samburu traditional elders, We can help you organise your wedding in special and memorable way. A combination of cultural activities, expressions, music and traditional blessings. This can be organised in the interior of Maasai and Samburu land.

Wildlife safaris

Specialized wildlife safaris within indigenous Maasai and Samburu owned community Sanctuaries.Laikipia Maasai and their Neighbours, the Samburu are managing their own sanctuaries as a strategy of increasing their income and alleviating extreme levels of poverty among the indigenous peoples. You can be part of this noble idea and you can count the value for your time and money. The Il ngwesi community lodge has won several international awards
We take you to the Kenyan leading and world renowned National Game parks that are spread over Kenya- and mainly neighbouring the Maasai and Samburu communities. The Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Samburu game reserves/parks are well know wildlife parks in Kenya and we can assist you to plan a safari.

NICE Safaris is an indigenous Community Based, owned and operated company registered in Kenya, that has developed and sustained a niche in organizing Eco Travels among the Maasai and Samburu communities of Kenya.

Read about Maasai cultural heritage >>

NICE safaris is specialized in organizing nature and intercultural learning and safaris, lifetime experiences, educational visits, interactive expeditions and leisure safaris, wildlife safaris, budget safaris, Maasai and Samburu community village stay and experience.We also organize internship and volunteer work and holiday. NICE also does organize village stays among the Kenyan well renowned communities such as the Maasai, Samburu among others- where you can experience their culture, way of life, ceremonies and rituals. You will have the opportunity and privilege of interacting with communities that have struggled to maintain and promote their cultural heritage despite all the odds.

We Indigenous owned and operated and we understand the savannah, rangelands and much more we ensure that the Maasai and the Samburu, who have tirelessly contributed to the heritage, Nature and Wildlife Conservation in Kenya realize the broad range of benefits from tourism;

NICE is established based on the Maasai and Samburu cultural heritage, indigenous skills and knowledge that has established values and norms that takes care for and respects the nature, environment, wildlife and the whole ecosystems. The Maasai and Samburu have, over years, developed time –tested skills and knowledge that has helped them maintain a critical balance between their traditional lifestyles of keeping livestock, their rich and deep cultural heritage, the environment and the wildlife. They remain a pleasant and respectable people despite the odds and challenges. This is what motivated the creation.

The following values are what motivates and guide our Safaris, Excursions and adventures:

We are Indigenous Maasai community based and -fully owned and operated
We are local and promote use of local resources to alleviate poverty in an environmental friendly and sound way,
We believe that can Community based owned and operated eco-tourism ventures can contribute and address to poverty alleviation and also address the power gap and imbalance between the rich and the poor using local initiatives and inter cultural connections,
We use locally owned and run accommodation that promotes creation of job opportunities and income necessary for stable family life and enables the community particularly women and children earn from safaris and wildlife conservation,
We use local produce, resources and skills.
We support local initiatives such as nature conservation, environmental awareness and education in schools and education for children from poor households and marginalised communities.
We believe in the Cultural Heritage and cultural rights for indigenous communities.
We recognise, respect and promote the indigenous skills, knowledge and practices of these communities
We promote cross-cultural experience, respect, understanding and Tolerance
We believe in, promote and respect human rights, indigenous peoples rights, environmental and conservation, promote and support cross cultural connections as a means for building deep understanding.

Our Vision:

We envisage to contribute to poverty alleviation among the Indigenous Maasai and samburu communities through promotion of community based and owned ventures such as ethno- ecotourism, eco -safaris/study tours. We also promote self -fulfilling safaris and holidays through which our guests;individuals, families and groups draw satisfaction and happiness from the respect and value for the Maasai and Samburu communities, the environment and the wildlife Conservation. We educate and encourage tourists and visitors to respect Maasai and Samburu heritage.

The Team: We have a Team of 7 dedicated, diligent and humble Indigenous Maasai and Samburu professional and intrepid Warrior guides spread over the Maasai and Samburu.They speak fluent english, Samburu and Maa langauges.They are exprienced in walking/trekking safaris, cultural exprience/immersion, camel trekking, birding, wildlife and much more they understand and know the Kenyan savannah and the rangelands and traditional links with spiritual leaders of these two renowned communities. Beside the guides, we also have exprienced Maasai and Samburu Women who are exprienced Tour consultants in Both the Nanyuki and Nairobi office. They are efficient and prepared to help you plan and realise the objectives of your safari, holiday and adventure.